


Until The Day I Die

by Skylinneas



Series: Tales of Berseria/Zestiria Collection [1]
Category: Tales of Berseria, Tales of Series
Genre: Angst and Drama, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Epilogue, F/F, Fanfiction, Friendship, Gen, One Shot, Original Character(s), POV Female Character, Post-Tales of Berseria, Tales of Berseria Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:48:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25955470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skylinneas/pseuds/Skylinneas
Summary: Ever since Innominat is sealed away by Velvet Crowe, Eleanor Hume takes it upon herself to follow through with her friend's dream. Time, however, is not kind to her. Sometimes, she finds comfort at her friend's side as she recounts her stories, her struggles, and her resolutions to the woman whom she owed her life to. (Eleanor & Velvet)
Relationships: Velvet Crowe & Eleanor Hume
Series: Tales of Berseria/Zestiria Collection [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2018114
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	Until The Day I Die

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys! Skylinneas here. This is the first-ever story I've posted on AO3 and I'm very excited to try this new site out! Up until now, I'm only familiar with FFN and Wattpad so this will be a new experience for me, and what better way to celebrate this occasion by posting the brand new Tales of Berseria fanfic that I've been working on like a frenzied maniac after I finished the game because I just love it so much? I hope you guys enjoy! Reviews are appreciated! :)

Hello, Velvet.

It's been a long time. I see you're still living that good dream, right? You and your brother look so peaceful together like that. That's good. I'm happy for both of you, truly.

I have Laphicet…sorry, I shouldn't be calling him that anymore. I have Maotelus to thank for allowing me to see you again here. Even though you probably can't see, hear, or even reply back to me, it's okay. I just wanted to be here. I wanted to tell you that we're still doing just fine. That we're going to be okay. And if I have to be honest, I just wanted to talk with you again, Velvet.

I made an Oath to you a long time ago that I will follow your orders until my dying day, and I promised to take care of Phi should anything happens to you. I want to tell you that he's grown into a fine young man, Velvet. Happy to say that he's just as cheerful and kind as he's ever been. I don't know if you would approve of him becoming an Empyrean or not, though, but in the end, that's the choice he had made for himself, just like how you made the choice to seal yourself here with Innominat that day. Thanks to both of you, a lot of people in the world have another chance at life. Kamoana, Medissa, and Dyle got another chance at life, too.

I just…I just wish that you could have that second chance as well.

Things have gone back to the same way it was back before the Advent…back before Shepherd Artorius gave in to despair because of the deaths of your sister and their child. To think that all of this could be traced back to the events of that fateful day, and now that everything seems to have reverted to just like before then, I can't help but feel that we didn't really achieve anything despite all the tragedy you and your family have to go through. Not a day has gone by that I don't think about what could have happened differently, how we could find a way to resolve this malevolence inside our hearts without Innominant having to repeat his vicious cycle of suppression to rid the world of it.

It wasn't fair. Everybody suffered from malevolence equally, but why must fate be especially cruel to your family?

.

.

.

I'm…I'm sorry. I'm getting carried away again, aren't I?

Heh. I still remember you calling me a 'crybaby' the first time we met in Beardsley. You'd probably tease me to no end if you see me as I am right now. Even if it's been two years now, I still haven't changed much since then, truth be told. You remember that day in Haria Village, right? I was hopelessly lost after I struck that monster who killed my mother down. If you and Rokurou hadn't helped me when you two did…I dread to think what would happen to me and Laphicet.

Phi…he has grown so much compared to me. To think that he came from a malak who has no will of his own whom Teresa used like a tool and became a cheerful, optimistic young man who went on to become the world's savior and its protector, it's…inspiring, to say the least. He's still remaining at the Empyrean's Throne most of the time, but occasionally I could see him soaring the skies above from time to time, exploring the world in his own way. You did tell him to live his life to the fullest, after all. You would've loved to hear all those amazing stories he shared with us every time we come to see him. The world is so much bigger than I could ever imagine.

It's a shame that I don't really have time to do the exploring myself recently. After some period of peace, daemons started rising in numbers again, and a lot of people still need help and guidance to get through these turbulent times now that the Abbey doesn't exist anymore. Needless to say, it was...not easy. Many people are understandably on edge and they're prone to find something or someone to blame for the predicament they're in.

Just a few days ago, I had to break up a fight between these two brothers. The older man, who was in charge of building a new settlement, was calling out his brother for being lazy while his brother retorted that he's being unreasonable with the amount of work he put him to do. I managed to get them both to calm down for now, but these two have a long way to go to reconcile with each other.

Thankfully, Kamoana and her parents are there for me. Whenever I feel like there's too much to handle, and that's most days for me now, Kamoana will always be there with a bright, cheerful smile on her face as she offered something for me to eat, and Medissa and Dyle will often give me useful advice and insights on how to proceed from where I am. All three of them have become an ideal picture of a loving family. In spite of everything else that had happened, I'm extremely happy that they get to have their second chance to live their lives normally, or as close to normal as we could get in this crazy world.

Tabatha and her Bloodwing Butterflies agents are a big help as well. They actually cooperated well enough with King Percival in distributing supplies to where they're needed across the Empire. Occasionally, though, they do have to resort to some…underhanded means to get things done. It's not something I'm exactly in favor of, but as long as nobody gets hurt and they don't cause trouble for the public, I'll try to find a middle ground between them. King Percival seems confidant in them, though. The Bloodwings allowed him to have a more viable means to help his people indirectly while he's required elsewhere, and there are certain things that a royalty like him should not be involved in, something that Tabatha and her agents can facilitate for him on his behalf, so I suppose it's not all that bad.

I haven't seen Rokurou much since we went our separate ways. He's still around, but he said he preferred to wander around rather than be in one place for too long. I understand where he's coming from, though. Having a body that's half daemon doesn't exactly make for a welcoming sight for most people. Knowing him, he's probably still looking to fight the good fight, finding that one opponent who could give him a challenge or even bested him just like how he bested Shigure. I still don't understand how he could live his life the way he does, but at least he has a clear sight of what he wants to do in life. I guess he'd be content with that.

Eizen still stayed with the Van Eltia. Even though Benwick and the other crew can't see him anymore, he said it's okay. He wanted to keep on looking after them as they explore the world beyond the known seas, especially since Aifread already passed away. He said there's just something about Van Eltia that made the Reaper's Curse doesn't make him feel as miserable as it should be. Perhaps it's because of everything we've been through together. Perhaps it's probably that nothing will ever get crazier than what we've been through. Either way, the Van Eltia is his home and he intends to stay with it, even if it feels lonelier than ever before.

Surprisingly, Magilou actually sticks with me the longest out of everybody. She could have come and go at any time considering how she is, but she actually keeps me company. At first, I believed it's probably because she just wanted to find someone else she could pick on now that…that you're not with us anymore, but while she does occasionally play a couple of playful pranks on me from time to time, she actually prefers to watch me work from a distance. I've noticed that she's been writing a lot recently, too. She didn't tell me what she was writing about, but Bienfu hinted that she's recording history as she perceived it. I never knew this side of her before, but it's very welcoming to see it. I don't know if she has always been like this or traveling with us and getting closure with Melchior changed something in her, but I guess that isn't important. Magilou is Magilou, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

To think that all these wonderful people, all the adventures that we've been through together, I wouldn't be able to experience any of it if you hadn't defeated me that day, and if…if you and Laphicet didn't stop me from trying to kill myself. Every moment in my life that I'm able to cherish until now, I owned it all to both of you that day.

And that's why I…

I will become a Shepherd, Velvet.

I will lead those people to an age of unity and advancement, to make the world a better place for everyone. Humans, seraphs, and daemons alike.

I wanted to help do my best to make you and Maotelus's dream a reality, Velvet.

A world where there won't be another tragedy like what happened to you and your family ever again.

It'd be a long, difficult road to walk, but I won't be walking it alone. So don't you worry, okay?

We'll see each other again.

* * *

Hello again, Velvet.

I see that age has been much kinder to you than me. You still look good even after all these years. Can't say that I'm not a bit jealous of you, and I don't get jealous easily, you know?

Anyway, I just would like to update you on the things that transpired over these past ten years.

I wish I could say that it was smooth sailing since the last time I'm here, but…there are some troubling news. I guess I might as well start with the bad news first.

The Holy Midgand Empire is no more.

An anti-Imperial faction led by a man named Modredus accused King Percival of being a pretender, accusing him of being the Abbey's pawn, and broke away to form his own nation. Several other towns followed him and the Empire broke apart. Loegres is now in chaos. We're now on the verge of civil war. Even worse, I'm afraid that with all the negativity that happens so far, malevolence has never been higher since before the Advent. Daemons have been popping up everywhere now.

King Percival tried to do everything he could, but now that Tabatha had already passed away, the current Bloodwing Butterflies guild leader did not share the same loyalty that she had with him, and the King lost one of his most valuable allies when he needed them most. Aifread's pirates still stand with him, though. Benwick said he still owned the former Prince for a lot of things back in the day. Of course, Eizen probably has something to do with it indirectly, but I'm still very thankful.

As the Shepherd, I tried to do what I can, but…rumors that I was a traitor to the Abbey and associated with daemons makes it hard for some groups of people to trust me. The fact that it was actually, well, the truth, doesn't help at all. Some people even accused me that I'm responsible for Shepherd Artorius's death and the Abbey's downfall and demanded I be put on trial and punished for my crimes, too. I guess the consequences of joining you are finally catching up to me.

As an Empyrean, Maotelus sadly informed me that he couldn't help directly, not unless he revealed the whole truth of what happened including the true nature of daemonblight, and you and I both know what would happen if we do that. There'd be total chaos the likes of which the world has never seen. Masses of people will succumb to malevolence and turn into daemons, and Maotelus told me that even his Silver Flame power has its limits, not to mention that constantly using worldwide-affecting powers could lead to an upset in the balance of the elemental Empyreans as well. We could end up making things even worse than it already is.

So for now, we have to do this on our own. I'll do whatever I can to resolve this conflict. That I promise to you.

Because…because now I have something important to fight for in addition to my duties.

I'm a mother now, Velvet.

Blessed Maotelus, it's so embarrassing to be actually saying this to you out loud.

Hah…

Me, a mother. Can you believe it, Velvet? I'm actually scared to death right now!

Back when I was traveling with you, I would never have imagined myself leading a family life. What with my own experience of losing my family and my own devotion to the Abbey, but then five years ago I met this nice young nurse from Hellawes who helped treated my injuries after I was wounded in a battle with a particularly strong daemon. His name is Leon. You'd probably like him, Velvet, or you probably not. He's pretty similar to you back when you were living in Aball before…before that Scarlet Night happened. Hardworking, optimistic, and kind, he was always there to look after me whenever I come back from dangerous assignments, and we grew closer and closer. One thing led to another and, you can probably imagine the rest.

We have two children now, Tristan and Pellaeon. They're both cheerful and brave, though sometimes they tend to get themselves in trouble. Kamoana had to play a babysitter to them both many times when my duties take me away from them. Heh. She complained to me many times about how many headaches the twins put her through, then she laughed, saying it must be karma for what she put Medissa through when she was younger.

It's the ideal picture of family life, Velvet. One that you could have had.

And that's why…even though I don't really know what I'm doing, even though I'm scared of what the future might bring, even with the war looming on the horizon, I will do anything to protect them.

This I vow to you, my friend.

* * *

Modredus is finally defeated, Velvet, but at a great cost…

Rokurou has fallen.

He...he perished holding Modredus's entire army at Aldina Plains. From what I've heard, he took on hundreds of soldiers and daemons Modredus had under his command and even came close to taking Modredus's life himself, but he was completely exhausted by then.

His sacrifice saved Stonebury from being overrun and allowed King Percival's forces to circle around the mountain and attacked Modredus from behind. It was a difficult battle, but after five years of civil war, we finally achieved victory.

King Percival and I made sure he received a hero's funeral. Since his death marked the end of the Rangetsu family line, his swords were buried along with him. The crew of Van Eltia attended, and so did Kamoana and her family. Magilou was…not like herself at the funeral, too. She was more sobering than normal, which actually scared me, truth be told, and her expression was blank the entire time. She would never show it openly, but I know that she's devastated. Rokurou meant a lot to her. He meant a lot to us all.

I saw Eizen showing up later at the grave when everybody else had already left. He explained that during the battle with Modredus, the sheer amount of malevolence almost made him lost control of himself, and he was afraid that the amount of negativity at the funeral could turn him into a dragon, so he had to wait until he was sure that he could take it. He admitted that he wanted to believe his Reaper's Curse wasn't the reason for things turning out as it did, but he had a hard time believing it. He never properly thanked Rokurou for trying to help him overcome his curse, and now he will never get another chance. All he could do was giving him back the broken two-headed coin that Rokurou gave him a long time ago. One last parting gift between old friends.

Maotelus…he's probably the one who was hurt the most by the ordeal. Rokurou was always nice to him back when he was Laphicet. He was like a big brother to him. Even as Maotelus, he admired that Rokurou stayed true to who he was even if he could never turn back into a human again. He told me that for the first time, he truly lost someone important to him, and he doesn't know what to do. For all the powers he has as an Empyrean, he was powerless to save his friend from dying, and he felt horrible because of it. I wish I could find the words to comfort him. I really do, but I don't know what I should say.

Rokurou…he was a model fighter to the very end. Even though he's a part daemon, he sacrificed himself to save countless lives and helped ended the war. I never properly thanked him for all the times he saved me during our battle with the Abbey, or how his ever optimism towards the future kept me from the brink of despair. I may not be entirely happy with his decision to kill his own brother and mother, but…his determination and acceptance of who he was is something I've always admired about him. He never lost sight of his goal and he did whatever he must to achieve it, just like you.

He was stronger than I could ever hope to be.

I just…at least hoped that he at least got to go down fighting that one worthy opponent who was good enough to best him. It's what he would have wanted.

I miss him, Velvet.

I miss you two so much.

* * *

Turns out Modredus wasn't quite dead as we thought.

He returned as a seraph, Velvet, and he somehow regained the memories of his past life. He willingly gave himself into malevolence and turned into an extremely powerful dragon, and he wreaked havoc throughout the lands. Loegres was set ablaze, and hundreds of people perished in the inferno.

He…he killed Tristan.

He killed my son, Velvet.

I…

I…don't know what to do anymore.

I wanted to be furious. I wanted to kill that bastard. I…

Goddamn it, I can't even get angry.

I can't give in to malevolence. I cannot repeat the mistake I made at Haria Village again.

But it hurts so much, Vel…

It hurts so much and there's not a single damn thing I could do about it.

I did everything. _Everything!_ To make this world better, and yet it keeps falling apart!

Nothing I do matters. Nothing we do matters. Absolutely nothing!

I'm a failure.

A failure of a mother. A failure of a Shepherd. A failure of a human being.

.

.

.

Why do I even still talking to you, anyway?

You probably can't even hear anything I've been telling you, and even if you do, why would you care?

You're safe in there with your brother – a mad Empyrean who tried to take away our freedom, and yet you…you look so peaceful and content.

How could you be so content while the whole world goes to hell?

Heh, what a stupid question. You never give a damn about the world in the first place. Ever since back then, what mattered the most to you was your vengeance.

Well, you got what you wanted, didn't you?

Your journey's already over, but what about me!? What about the rest of us!?

HOW CAN YOU STILL BE SMILING!?

.

.

.

I wish I never have met you. I wish you would've killed me the day I lost to you and be done with it. I don't want to live in a world like this!

I don't want to live anymore…

Maybe Lord Artorius was right, after all.

Maybe it's better off for everyone if they don't have feelings at all. Never to be hurt again. Never to feel despair again.

.

.

.

"Don't despair, no matter what."

That's what you once said…right here, a long time ago.

Don't despair, no matter what.

.

.

.

I have to go.

* * *

Hello again, Velvet.

I…I'm sorry for my outburst the last time I was here.

It's been a difficult time for me these past few years.

Losing Rokurou and my son, it almost drove me to despair.

But…against all odds, I didn't.

Because I remember, Velvet.

I remember all those times we traveled together, with you, Laphicet, Rokurou, Magilou, Eizen, and everybody else. I remember all those adventures, all those hardships, all those struggles that we have to go through.

I remember that day when we got trapped in the earthpulse by Innominat. You were almost driven to despair then, too, when Innominat revealed the horrible truth of what really happened during that Scarlet Night. You were broken, numb, and even gave up entirely. It would have been the end for all of us right then and there.

But then Laphicet shouted out to you, telling you to stop whining already. He told you how you gave him a name when he was just a number, how you finally made him understand what it means to be alive, and how that's why he'll fight on for you even if it was pointless. And then you came back to us. You found a new resolve to fight on, to never give up on living despite all the tragedy the world throws at you.

I remember Magilou standing up to Melchior all by herself just to keep the exit open for us, even though he's literally tearing her heart to pieces, all because she wanted to see where your convictions would lead you to.

I remember the crew of Van Eltia putting up with the Reaper's Curse that their first mate carries, just because they wanted to. No matter how much risk they're exposed to, they won't abandon Eizen because he's one of them, because that's what Van Aifread would do.

I remember when Rokurou told me when we arrived in Pork Zekson that if I push myself to the limit and it's still not enough, there's no shame in relying on others. Heh. The words of a daemon who's wiser than even some humans I knew.

I remember that night before the final battle. I remember the talk we had on the Van Eltia, how we talked about the dualities of the world, how that despite all the hardship and sadness, it's still a beautiful place that's worth living and exploring in.

I remember the words you said to Artorius before you struck his own blade deep into his chest: "Don't despair, no matter what". Those were your words, just as it were Artorius's when he saved you the night he lost his wife and child.

All these memories made me finally remember the thing that mattered the most:

That I am still alive, and I am not alone.

I still have Leon and Pellaeon with me. Maotelus, Eizen, and Magilou as well. I still have the full support of King Percival and the crew of Van Eltia. Kamoana has grown up to be a fine young protector herself, too. She's all too eager to help me fight and make the world a better place in whichever ways she could.

I've lost my way, but I found it again thanks to the people around me. People whom I cared for and cared for me in return. Just as I carry them through their dark times, they helped carry me through mine.

With their help, they saved me from my despair, Velvet, just as your friends saved you from yours.

And together, we finally brought an end to Modredus at long last.

The desire to avenge my son is what drives me, but I never let it change who I really am. I wanted to make Modredus answer for what he had done, but I also wanted to protect everyone else so they won't have to suffer through the same pains I did as well.

Humanity is full of contradictions. We try to control our emotions yet it's only when we let them loose do we truly feel alive. We wish for a peaceful life yet we also strive to challenge ourselves every day. We make mistakes again and again but we also cannot grow stronger without them. Sometimes, we fight on even when there's no hope, even when there's no point, but we still fight because it's who we are.

These are what I have learned a long time ago when I was traveling with you, Velvet. Remembering those times is how I finally overcome my despair, and that's how I defeated Modredus.

It didn't bring Tristan back, nor did it bring back any of those he killed.

But at the very least, now I'm finally at peace after so long.

It's time to move on.

* * *

Good news for you, Velvet! After three years, Aball is finally rebuilt!

I made sure that they preserve the original site of your village as much as they could. Don't worry, your family home is still standing, but the new village is expanded west through the Morgana Woods. Some people are even hopeful that one day, the new town might even grow big enough to connect with Taliesin and merged into one big city. It's still a long way to go, but with the threat of Modredus finally over, people are pretty optimistic about the future.

That being said…

People have taken to call Modredus as the new Lord of Calamity, the infamous title that the Abbey originally gave to you back then. His reign of chaos brought a lot of people to mind about the destruction you left in your wake. King Percival and I did my best to discourage the comparison, but in the end, you really did go down in history as the Lord of Calamity, while Shepherd Artorius and his legates will always be remembered as martyrs who sacrificed themselves bringing you down.

But I guess you really don't mind it that much, right? You did say so yourself even back then. As long as you achieve your vengeance, it doesn't matter what history calls you.

Which reminds me…

You used your title as the Lord of Calamity to drive the people of Meirchio out of their town and lure Shigure and Melchior there. You used your infamy as a tool to an end, and it actually worked. Maybe I could do the same as well.

'Lord of Calamity', the very title alone should be enough to put fear into people's hearts, but also can bring them together to fight a common foe.

There aren't a lot of things in the world that can unite people, but if there's a certain something, or someone, that threatens our very existence, perhaps that's when we could set aside our differences and work together towards a common goal.

I guess that's one thing I have to thank the Abbey for.

Another good news, Pellaeon now has a younger sister! Her name is Viviana. Leon and I had her about three years ago when we were overseeing Aball's reconstructions. She's one adorable girl, though I have to keep good ol' aunt Magilou from making fun of her all the time. Pellaeon took some time to get used to her, though. He's still not really over his brother's death, but he eventually warms up to her after they both had some misadventures together.

Speaking of Pellaeon, can you believe the boy has a girlfriend now? And you wouldn't believe this, but his girlfriend's name is Niko, and her father is actually the young wandering vet from Taliesin that we came across all those years ago! The one who was just about to be engaged to your late best friend before the Scarlet Night tragedy. Now, Niko and her family are among the residents of the new Aball and they couldn't be happier for it. It's funny how fate works sometimes, right?

Kamoana also became a mother herself as well! A cute young boy by the name of Kalani who's certainly a feisty little kid just like his mother when she was young. The scars and traumas of her childhood seem to have mostly disappeared now. They're still with her deep within, but she made the most of her second chance at life that she could control those painful memories and don't let them dictate the rest of her life. She really has come a long way from the scared young girl we found at Palamides Temple back then.

All in all, I'd say things have been well these past few years. We still have a long way to go before the world is recovered from Modredus's rampage, but we'll get there eventually, as long as we remain hopeful and work together towards a brighter future.

Keep looking out for us, Velvet.

* * *

Hello again, Velvet.

It's been a long time. I see you're still living that good dream, right? You and your brother look so peaceful together like that.

Hah, I must be getting old, repeating myself like this. I remember saying those words to you a long, long time ago.

Ever since the day we defeated Artorius and Innominat, I vowed to myself that I will help Maotelus make your dream a reality. A dream of a world where people are united, where people help each other to face whatever adversary that comes their way.

It has been eighty years since then.

The world is doing alright. It has gone through its ups and downs. The daemons are still around as long as there is malevolence. The earth plates have started to move closer together thanks to us awakening the Empyreans back then but no catastrophe has happened yet, and that's certainly a good thing. All in all, I'd say the rest of us will still be around for a long time.

I, however, probably won't have much longer to live.

In fact, this could be the last time that I could be here with you, my friend.

Even if I wanted to be here forever, I couldn't go against nature itself. People grow old and die. That's how life is. I've already come to terms with that.

Magilou being herself, though, she once offered to teach me how to make an oath similar to what Melchior once did and keep my eternal youth, but I turned her down. Eternal life is not what I desired, especially knowing about what happened to you.

Even if it means I have to leave behind a lot of people I cared for, leave the world still full of problems that I'll never be able to fix, leave behind regrets of things that I could have done differently.

Regrets…there are a couple of things, I think. I guess there's no point in keeping them hidden anymore, now that any moment could be my last.

Around twenty years ago, Eizen disappeared. Since Benwick and the crew couldn't see him anymore, nobody knew where he headed off to. Not long after that, I met this young seraph with blonde hair who wielded a particularly beautiful umbrella. She handed me a letter she claimed she got from 'her brother' Eizen. In it, the message said that he's becoming less resistant to malevolence and had no choice but to keep himself away from humans entirely, lest he turns into a dragon and loses himself completely.

Poor Eizen. I just wish that I could have a chance to say a proper goodbye to him. He doesn't deserve the fate that was given to him. Thanks to the Reaper's Curse and whatever curse those high-and-mighty seraphs living in the Heavenly Realms placed upon their earthbound counterparts, there was no chance for Eizen to have a peaceful life.

In my entire life, I wish I could have done more to look into the hidden history of the seraphs in the Heavenly Realms and why they hated humans so much to the point that they went out of their way to make our reconciliation impossible. Alas, it's now too late for me. That's one regret I have to take it with me to the grave. I just hope that the next generations could have continued this work in my place. Maybe, just maybe, there could be one day where humanity and seraphs could finally learn how to live together in peace, and no seraph would have to suffer through what Eizen went through again.

Another thing I regret is I won't be able to look after Laphicet…no, Maotelus anymore. No matter how much time has passed, I'm still worried for him, even though right now he's more powerful than I could ever hope to be. I guess I really did come to see him like a brother I never had, after all.

He told me that it's okay, though. He knew that I'm worried about him and that he understands. He doesn't know what the future will bring, especially when he still has a very long life ahead, but he won't ever give up. There may be times where he'll be at his weakest, where he's at his most vulnerable or lost his way entirely, but he'll find a way to come around eventually. That way, he could find comfort in the fact that he's not that much different from ordinary people like you and me. Flawed yet determined.

Heh, I guess I never really did stop being so worried over everything.

You know? In all these moments that I spent here with you, I never really did take the time to appreciate the scene around this room: a platform in the middle of the void, and within that void is a sea of stars.

Did you ever wonder what it is like out there? What lies beyond the curved horizons of the world we lived in? What is waiting within all those stars we see at night? Are there any other places out there filled with life just like here, and with it all sorts of stories and emotions that they might have?

Imagine the possibilities of things hidden in the unknown. And yet, in all my life, my only focus has been trying to resolve all the problems in the only world I know. I guess age has a way of showing you what you've been missing out once you really take the time to look back into your life.

I vowed to you once that I will follow your orders until the day I die. Well, I think it's safe to say that I have kept it through the entire way. Initially, I grudgingly followed your orders out of necessity – back when we were enemies. Then I followed you out of curiosity, to find out the truth behind what the Abbey was doing. Then we became friends, and I followed your orders because I wanted to. You opened my eyes to see the world beyond what the Abbey wanted me to see. You taught me to think for myself and follow my own path.

And yet, much of my life is still defined by others. I'm duty-bound to you to protect Maotelus to the best of my abilities. I'm duty-bound as a Shepherd to guide the world down the right path. In the end, my life is not truly mine. Not entirely. And that's probably how it should be.

In the end, we humans are all incomplete in one way or another, but we can all be a part of one another to fill the pieces we missed. Even though we might never be whole, we can be a part of something bigger and become stronger from it together, and as we keep on building our bonds little by little, I believe that one day we will eventually reach the stars together.

I suppose that should be enough.

If I am ever reborn as a seraph, I'd probably still do the same things I've been doing all my life: helping people so that we can all reach the stars together.

Also, I would get to see you and Maotelus, and all our friends again. It doesn't matter if I never remember any of you then, because it means I get to bond with everyone all over again.

Thank you for everything, Velvet. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for being a part of my life.

Farewell, my friend. See you again.

* * *

_Shepherd Eleanor Hume passed away peacefully at the age of 98. According to her daughter Viviana, she died in her sleep with a content smile on her face. Her passing is mourned by people all over the known world. According to some claims, the Great Empyrean Maotelus's cries could be heard from the direction of Artorius's Throne in Midgand, and the sky was filled with a bright radiant light. Daemons all across the world were turned back into humans once more. Thus, this day marks the end of another Age of Chaos and the dawn of a new era._

_\- Magilou Mayvin_

**Author's Note:**

> Wow, this sure was a ride!
> 
> Been a long time since I last wrote any new fanfics due to being burned out and having a lot to think about these past few months, but playing Tales of Berseria rekindle that fire somewhat. I just love this game so much, from its story, its settings, and its characters, especially a certain young exorcist whom I saw fit to be the narrator of this fic xD. The ending of the game left me hollow for quite a while, and I felt the need to write something to get it off my chest and provide it a closure I think it deserves.
> 
> The first thing I wanted to note is that I know that Tales of Berseria took place in the distant past of Tales of Zestiria, which I haven't played yet. Accordingly, this fanfic is written based on the knowledge of Berseria's plot only, so if there's any contradiction with what happened in Zestiria, this I must apologize. I did my best to research the plot of Zestiria so as to avoid such contradictions as much as I could, though, so I hope that I have did a good enough job at it.
> 
> And since we're talking prequels, the main theme of this fic, so to speak, is to address how despite everything our (anti-)heroes have achieved in Berseria, eventually things are gonna go to hell again a thousand years later. That is not even mentioning the things that could have happened in-between that would certainly really downplay Berseria's ending considerably, just like real life! In the end, even if you do your utmost best to save the world, it will never last, and when the bad things keep happening again and again even though your story is supposed to be over, what would you feel? I wanted Shepherd Eleanor to be an expression of my opinion on that.
> 
> I guess I should pick this quote by Orson Welles that said "If you want a happy ending, it depends, of course, on where you stop your story", which I think describes the purpose of my fanfic (or really, any story ever) nicely.
> 
> I might write a follow-up story, or a follow-up chapter, starring Laphicet as he has a conversation with Innominat inside Velvet's eternal dream world later, but it has to wait for some time until I'm finally free from obligations, which won't be until next month.
> 
> All in all, I hope you guys enjoyed this little oneshot I cooked up after my Berseria marathon frenzy lol. I apologize in advance for any mistake I might have made in the story. English is not my first language and while I try to do my best to avoid those silly grammatical errors, I still occasionally make them from time to time. Feel free to point out those errors as you see fit, as well as providing a constructive review or criticism if you can.
> 
> Thank you for reading!
> 
> P.S. Velvet x Eleanor FTW xD


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